The physiological mechanics of piano technique: An experimental study of the nature of muscular action as used in piano playing and of the effects thereof upon the piano key and the piano tone

482 Pages·1929·271.46 MB·English

by  Otto Ortmann

The
Physiological Mechanics
of Piano Technique
At) experimental study of the nature of muscular
/\Otionas used in piano playing, and of the effects
~h reof upon the piano key and the piano tone
By
OTTO ORTMANN
RcsearchLaboratory of thePeobody Conservotory of Mus{c.
Baltimore,Maryland
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS
counterpart of an earlier study on the Physical Basis of
Piano Touch and Tone
LONDON
I', AN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO., LTD.
NEW YORK : E. P. DUTTON & CO., INC.
1929
8;8/ 1I ~ .
K
""""?S b.~l ORT
.'llINT.:O I.N (lRKAT lIRITAIN In'
STF.I'UKN AUSTIN AND SONS, I.TO'1 HERTFORD.
CONTENTS
PART I
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ORGANISM
UIIAI'TER PAnl';
I. MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES . 3
II. THESKELETON 13
Ill. THEMUSCLES. 40
IV. STATES AND PROPERTIES OFMUSCLES 50
V. THE NEURAL AND CIRCULATORY SYSTEMS 64
PART U
GENERAL ASPECTS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL MOVEMENT
VI. GEOMETRICS OFPHYSIOLOGICALMOVEMENT 75
VII. ACTIONANDREACTION 82
VIII. ACTIVITYANDPASSIVITY . . . 90
IX. COORDINATION AND INCOORDINATION", 99
X. RELAXATION 124
XI. WEIGHT-TRANSFER . 134
XII. VERTICALARM-MOVEMENT 149
XIII. LATERALARM-MoVEMENT. 160
PART m
THE TOUCH-FORMS OF PIANO TECHNIQUE
XIV. ARM-LEGATO . 177
XV. TREMOLO 183
XVI. STACCATO 196
XVII. FINGER-STROKE 217
XVIII. SCALES . -251
XIX. ARPEGGIO 262
XX. MISCELLANEOUSMOVEMENTS 277
XXI. INDIVIDUALDIFFERENCES: GENERAL 297
XXII. INDIVIDUALDIFFERENCES: THE HAND 311
XXIII. TONE-QUALITIES 337
XXIV. STYLE 362
RESUME 376
BIBLIOGRAPHY 379
INDEX . 387
v
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
)'10.
1. TypesofLevers page 5
2. AnglesofMuscular Pnll 7
"
3. Parallelogram ofForces 9
"
4. Composition of Co-planarForces 9
"
5. Parallelopiped ofForces . 10
6. Parallel Forces 11
"
7. Positions ofRadiusand Ulna (PlateI) facingpage 16
8. TrunkRelaxation . page 20
9. Shoulder Rotation . 20
10. ElbowFlexion 21
11. Fore-armRotation 22
"
12. Wrist Flexion 23
"
13. Finger Flexion 24
14. Horizontal Movements 26
15. Horizontal Movements at Elbow-joint 27
"
16. Hand-positions (PlateI) facingpage 16
17. MusclesoftheChest,Shoulder, andUpper
arm (Plate II) 40
" "
18. Deep MusclesoftheFore-arm (Plate Ill) 42
"
Superficial Muscles ofthe Fore-arm (Plate IV) 43
"
Muscles of theHand (PlateV) 44
"
19. DiagramofMuscular Tonus page 61
20. ConicalMovement of Humerus #. 75
21. ActionofFinger-movement on Hand 84
"
22. Action of Finger-movement on Wrist 85
"
23. Action ofFinger-movement on Elbow 85
24. Action ofFinger-movement on Hand 86
"
25. The DorsalInterossei Muscles 88
26. Location ofHand Muscles 88
"
27. Effect ofFinger-strokeonAdjoiningFinger -, 88
28. Method (or Third-finger Control during
StrokeofSecondFinger (PlateVI) facingpage 88
29. Instrument for Recording Contractions of
Finger-extensors (PlateVII) 92
" "
30. Activeand PassiveMovements page 93
31. Difference in Muscular Contraction in
Passive and Active Finger-lift
(PlateVII) . facingpage 92
32. Diagram ofBallisticMovement page 104
33. Types of Muscular Contraction with
VariationsinSpeed . 107
"
vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS vii
IIIU.
34. TwoTypes ofActionofthePectoralisMajor page 109
35. Time Relationship between Muscnlar
..
Contraction and Key-movement .. 110
36. 110
T{~e Relatio~hip M~scular Co~trac­
37. of ..
tion in Finger-stroke 111
38. Initial Muscular Contraetion and End of
Finger-stroke . III
"
39. ExampleofArm-writing 119
<10. Time Relationship between Muscular
Contraction and Key-movement .. 121
/11. 121
11 " "
42. MechanicalArm (Plate VIII) . facingpage 124
<13. DiagramsofArm-positions pa..ge 129
<14. Weight-transfer in Trill . .. 136
<15. Weight-transfer aud Inteusity 137
46. Weight-transfer andSpeed 139
47. Coordination in Finger-movement 140
48. Weight-transfer inFinger-repetition 141
..
49. Weight-transfer iuFinger-sequence . 142
..
50. Weight-transferinFinger-repetition 143
..
51. Weight-transfer in Scales 144
..
52. EfIect of PercueeivenessonWeight-transfer .. 145
53. Types ofArm-stroke 153
..
54. Effect ofPercueeiveuesaouArm-drop 155
55. Incoordination in Arm-movement .. 157
56. Mechanical Construction ofLateral Arm-transfer .. 161
57. LateralArm-movement . 163
58. The Pantograph Method for Recording
Lateral Arm-transfer (PlateIX) facingpage 164
..
59. Repeated Octave Leaps (Plate IX) . 164
60. Asymmetry ofLateralArm-transfer . page 165
61. Pantograph Record of Mixed Figures in
LateralArm-movemeut (Plate IX) facingpage 164
62. Effect of Intensity on Lateral Arm ..
movement (PlateX) 166
63. Effect of Intensity on Lateral Arm
..
movement (Plate XI) 167
64. Effect of Intensity on Height of Curve
..
(Plate XI) .. 167
65. Effect ofSpeed onLateralArm-transfer . page 168
66. Effect of Tempo on the Form of Lateral
Arm-transfer (Plate XII) . facingpage 168
67. Pantograph Records of Lateral Arm
transfer (PlateXIII) 169
" "
68. Effect of Crescendo and Ritard on Lateral ..
Arm-transfer (Plate XIII) 169
Vlll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FIG.
69. Effect of Crescendo on Lateral Arm
transfer (Plate XIII) facingpage 169
70. Hand-movement in Mixed Figure
(PlateXIV) 170
" "
71. Hand-movement in Crescendo(Plate XIV) 170
" "
72. Notation ofCrescendoin OctavePassage . page 171
73. Displacement of Curve through Accent
(PlateXIV) facingpage 170
74. ForceActioninKey-release page 173
75. MuscularContractioninArm-movement 174
"
76. ForceActionin Key-release 174
"
77. Wrist-movement in Arm-legato 179
"
78. Wrist-movement in Arm-legato 180
"
79. Wrist-movement in Key-release 182
80. Weight-transferin Tremolo 184
"
81. Diagram ofFore-arm RotationinTremolo 186
"
82. Photograph of Diatonic Octave Tremolo
ShowingFore-armRotation (Plate XV) facing page 186
83. Curve of Finger-action in Fore-arm
Rotationin Tremolo(Plate XV) 186
"
84. Tremolo Figure Showing Need for Finger
movement page 189
85. Types ofTrcmoloFigures 190
86. Effect of Orescendo on Diatonic Octave
Tremolo(Plate XV) facingpage 186
87. Effect ofExtremeTones on TremoloAccents page 193
88. Effect ofExtremeTones on TremoloAccents 195
89. Independenceof Key-ascent and Finger-ascent . 197
"
90. Wrist-movement inHand-staccato 198
91. Wrist-jerk and Key-impact 199
"
92. Wrist-movement andKey-pressure 200
93. Handand Fore-arm Musclcsin Staccato 201
94. Hand-position Useful in Teaching Hand-
staccato (Plate XVI) facingpage 202
95. Effect ofKeyboard RangeonFore-arm Rotation pagc 204
96. Types 0'1 Tapping . ., 206
97. Muscular ActioninStaccato " 208
98. Muscular ActioninStaccato 208
99. Arm Msssin Vibrato Fixation 210
"
100. SimultaneousContraction ofAntagonists in Vibrato 211
"
101. TetanicCharacter ofMuscular Contractionin Vibrato. 212
102. TetanicCharacter of Finger-staccato. 215
"
103. AnglesofMuscular Pullin Hand 218
104. Types ofFinger-stroke . 220
"
105. Flat and Curved Fingers 221
"
106. Added ContractionRequired in Curved Fingers 222
107. Volar Flexor Contractionin FullArm-drop 224
"
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IX
..W.
108. Effect 01 Nail-jointPosition on Key-depression . page 226
109.Effect 01Finger-position on Key-resistance 227
IJ
110, Method 01 RecordingKey-movementsand
Finger-movements (Plate XVII) faciTl{} page 230
Ill. Diagram 01Types 01Finger-movement page 231
112. TypesofFinger-stroke . 232
"
J13. Effect of Percussivenesson Finger-stroke . 234
"
1H. Effect 01 Intensity onFinger-stroke 235
"
115. Effect ofFinger-strokeon Arm-movement 238
"
116. Effect 01Finger-strokeonAdjoiningFinger 238
117. Effect ofPlaying-nnitonFinger-stroke 240
"
118. Relationship between Key-movement and
Finger-stroke 241
"
119. Effects 01Relaxation and Rigidity on Finger-strokc. 242
"
120. Effect 01Finger-strokeon Tone-quality 244
"
121. Effect ofFinger-strokeon Tonc-quality 245
"
122. EffectofFinger-stroke on Tone-quality 245
123. Effect pITempo onFinger-stroke 248
"
124. Movement of Third Finger in Ascending
and Descending Scale(Plate XVIII) . facingpage 252
125. Thumb-movement in Rapid Scale
(Plate XVIII) 252
126. Preparation of Finger-movement in Scale
(PlateXVIII) 252
127. Hand-movement m Ascending Scale
(PlateXIX) 256
" "
128. Hand-movement in Descending Scale
(Plate XIX) 256
" "
129. Hand-movement in Rapid Ascending and
DescendingScale(Plate XX) 257
"
130. Thumb-movement in Ascending Scale
(Plate XX) " 257
131. OctaveDiatonic Scales . page 259
132. Effect of Range on Lateral Arm-transfer
(PlateXX) facing page 257
133. Hand-movement in Heavy Portamenio page 260
134. Effect ofTempoonHand-movement 260
135. Relationship between Wrist- and Thumb
movement inArpeggio 264
"
136. Hand-movement in a Rapid Arpeggio
(PlateXXI) facingpage 266
137. Hand-movement In a Rapid Arpeggio
(Plate XXI) 266
" "
138. Hand-movement in Arpeggio without
Passing-uuder the Thumb (Plate
XXII) " 267
"
139. Arpeggio-movemenls page 269
x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
rr«.
140. Hand-movement in Rapid Arpeggio
(PlateXXII) facingpage 267
141. Hand-movement in Arpeggio (Plate
XXIII) . 270
142. Hand-movement Arpeggio (Plate
III
](XIII) . . 270
143. Thumb- and Second-finger Movements in .. ..
Arpeggio(Plate X](IV) 271
144. Thumb-and Second-finger Movements in .. ..
Arpeggio(Plate](XIV) 271
145. Hand-movement III Slow Arpeggio ..
(Plate X](IV) .. 271
146. Effect ofIntensity onFinger-strokein Arpeggio page 274
147. Effect of FingeringuponHand-movements
(Plate](XV) facingpage 278
..
148. " .. 278
JJ 'J ..
149,150,151. Effect of Fallboard on Forward .. ..
Arm-shift (Plate XXVI) 280
Fallboard, showing Finger-tip Contacts
(Plate ](](VII) . . . 281
Fallboard, showing Finger-tip Contacts
(EnlargedScale)(Plate XXVII) 281
152. Effect of Fingering and Arm-shift upon
Smoothness of Movement (Plate ..
XXVIII) 282
153, 154. Incoordinated Movements (Plate
](](IX) 284
xxxi
155, 156. Chromatic Octaves (Plate 286
155. IncoordinatedOctaves(Plate xxxi " ,". 286
156. Coordinated Octaves (Plate ](](]() 286
"
157. Incoordinated Lateral Arm-shift (Plate .. ..
](XX) 286
158. ArmRotation(Plate ](](XI) . 290
159. Complexity of Arm-movement (Plate ..
](](XI) . 290
160. Hand-movement in Cadenza of Chopin
Liszt Chant Polonaise (Plate ](XXII) 292
"
161. Hand-movement in Cadenza of Liszt's
..
Tarantella (Plate](](](III) 293
"
162. Arm-types showing Weight-variations ..
(Plate XX](IV) " 298
163. Hand-positiondetermined by Distorted Tonus page 304
164. Variations in Finger-abduction on account
ofSizeofHand .. 312
165. TypesofHand-positions (Plate](](](V) facingpage 314
166. The Physiological Natural Hand-position
..
at theKeyboard (Plate ](](XV) 314
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Xl
vro.
167. Hand-types . page 317
168. Hypo-ftexion of the Nail-joints (Plate
XXXV) facingpage 314
169. Bones of the Wrist, showing Differences
in Articulating Surfaces (Plate
XXXVI) 322
"
170. Wrist Region (Plate XXXVI) 322
171. Range of Joiut-articulatiou (Plate
XXXVII) 324
"
172. VariousTypesofHyper-extension(Double
jointedness)(PlateXXXVII) . 324
"
173. Range of Movement Determined by
Skeletal Structure in Finger-bones
(Plate XXXVIII) . . facingpage 325
174. Extreme Hyper-extensiou in the Hand
knuckle of the Fifth Finger (Plate
XXXVIII) 325
"
175. X-ra of the Hand-knuckles (Plate
XXXIX) 326
176. Hypo-ftexion in Nail-joint ofIndex Fiuger
(PlateXXXIX) . 326
177. Full Extension with Non-rounded Boue-
ends (Plate XXXIX) . 326
"
178. Differences in Articulation between Hand-
knuckle andFinger-joiut (Plate XL) . 327
"
179. Hand-skeleton (PlateXL) 327
180. LateralViewofHand-knuckle(Plate XL) 327
"
181. Hand-skeleton. Narrow Hand, Long
Fingers (PlateXLI) . 328
" "
182. Limitation of Range by Bone-formation
(Plate XLII) . 329
"
183. Limitation of Abduction by Tissues (Plate
XLII) . 329
184. Diagram of Mechanical Principle in
Double-jointedness . . page 330
185. Differences of Skeletal Resistance in
Various Pianistic Finger-positions
(Plate XLIII) . facingpage 332
186. Skeletal Hand-position (Plate XLIV) 333
" "
187. Muscular Hand-position (Plate XLIV) 333
"
188. Anatomical Differences in Finger-tips
(PlateXLV) . .. 334
"
189. Diagram ofForce-variationsinTone-qualities page 338
190. Dynamograph for Tone-quality: Sparkling 339
191. Museular Contraction in Tone-quality: Sparkling 339
"
192. Dynamograph for Tone-quality : Velvety 340
193. Crisp 341
11 " Il : "